Comments by bacchuswino

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Posted on July 8 at 2:47 p.m.

We seem to have a strange blind spot when it comes to children and violence, like we assume that we can actually keep them clear of the nasty business of life. But the odds are that if your children have gone to school, then they have already participated in, observed, or been humiliated by violence.

Most likely they have done all three. Keeping them from seeing movies that involve violence will not change this.

I'm a huge fan of getting kids enrolled in more traditional martial arts schools at an early age. The key is finding a positive culture within the dojo or studio your kid is going to train in. Which (lame as this movie is) was part of what they were trying to say. If the guy that wants to train your kid starts saying that he's going to be able to get your kid a black belt within a number of years, then don't train there. But if the school is all about community and hard work... well that's a good thing.

If you're looking for positive influences on your kids in the Santa Barbara area I'd suggest checking out Lia Suzuki's dojo. www.aksb.org

They are a non profit group that's dedicated to getting Aikido out there. Good people.

Having trained under Ota Sensei and Lia Suzuki Sensei both I have nothing but praise for them. Lia Suzuki Sensei is sixth dan and lived in Japan training with the greats for over fifteen years I believe. She's something rather special.

Barney: You are wrong. Those innocent victims you are speaking about? They threatened to bomb Paul's home, while my father was living in it. See, he was my grandfather. I've held off on responding to your vitriolic, idiotic, and offensive comment on his obituary for years now.

But seriously dude, Paul won a Pulitzer for his editing work on that article, same with the article on the oil spill.

I honestly can't believe that someone could be this insensitive. Who trolls an obituary? I mean seriously?

This even looks to be fantastic. Zach knows his stuff, and the money from the fundraiser and silent auction will go to the Dojo's programs for kids. Plus, there will be tasty things. It's kind of a win win.

I don't know if the city clerk intended to alienate voters that don't have stable addresses, but that's kind of what has happened. I had a long day hopping from the City Clerks office, to the County Clerks office, back to the City Clerks office in order to get the Ballot that I was supposed to get in the mail but never did.

The only reason I got my ballot in the first place is because I get really touchy about voters rights. I don't think most people get that touchy. In fact I think a lot of people that would normally have voted in this election now will not vote simply because the City has made it more difficult for them to do so.

The fact that this is happening during such a controversial election (Measure B, Randall Wolfswinkel @ Co. attempting to Co-opt the City Government, etc) only makes this whole mail in ballot thing seem that much sketchier and more corrupt to me.

I lodged a formal complaint with the City Clerks office. I believe that a number of votes in town will be silenced due to this process, and I am very unhappy about it. Personally I think that others should do the same, it's rather frustrating.